Track your progress across cells, biological molecules, plant and animal nutrition, transport, respiration, coordination, reproduction, inheritance and ecology. Aligned to the 2026 Cambridge 5090 syllabus.
| Topic | Sub-Topic | Confidence (1–5) | Last Reviewed | Next Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Cell biology | Cell structure and organelles (animal vs plant cells) | |||
| 1. Cell biology | Levels of organisation: cells, tissues, organs, systems | |||
| 1. Cell biology | Movement in and out of cells: diffusion, osmosis, active transport | |||
| 1. Cell biology | Mitosis, meiosis and cell division | |||
| 1. Cell biology | Microscope use and cell measurement | |||
| 2. Biological molecules and enzymes | Carbohydrates, lipids and proteins: structure and tests | |||
| 2. Biological molecules and enzymes | Enzyme structure and the lock-and-key model | |||
| 2. Biological molecules and enzymes | Effects of temperature, pH and substrate concentration | |||
| 2. Biological molecules and enzymes | Enzyme applications in industry and food | |||
| 3. Plant nutrition and transport | Photosynthesis: reactants, products and word equation | |||
| 3. Plant nutrition and transport | Limiting factors in photosynthesis | |||
| 3. Plant nutrition and transport | Leaf structure and gas exchange | |||
| 3. Plant nutrition and transport | Transport in plants: xylem, phloem, transpiration | |||
| 3. Plant nutrition and transport | Mineral requirements of plants | |||
| 4. Animal nutrition and transport | Balanced diet, nutrients and deficiency diseases | |||
| 4. Animal nutrition and transport | Human digestive system and enzyme action | |||
| 4. Animal nutrition and transport | Absorption and assimilation of food | |||
| 4. Animal nutrition and transport | Blood: components and functions | |||
| 4. Animal nutrition and transport | Heart structure and circulatory system | |||
| 5. Respiration, gas exchange and excretion | Aerobic and anaerobic respiration | |||
| 5. Respiration, gas exchange and excretion | Human gas exchange and breathing | |||
| 5. Respiration, gas exchange and excretion | Effects of smoking on the respiratory system | |||
| 5. Respiration, gas exchange and excretion | Kidney structure and excretion | |||
| 5. Respiration, gas exchange and excretion | Homeostasis and temperature regulation | |||
| 6. Coordination and response | Nervous system: neurones and reflex arcs | |||
| 6. Coordination and response | Sense organs: structure of the eye | |||
| 6. Coordination and response | Hormones and endocrine glands | |||
| 6. Coordination and response | Tropisms and plant responses to stimuli | |||
| 7. Reproduction, inheritance and evolution | Asexual and sexual reproduction in plants and animals | |||
| 7. Reproduction, inheritance and evolution | Human reproductive system and menstrual cycle | |||
| 7. Reproduction, inheritance and evolution | DNA, chromosomes, genes and protein synthesis | |||
| 7. Reproduction, inheritance and evolution | Monohybrid inheritance and genetic crosses | |||
| 7. Reproduction, inheritance and evolution | Variation, natural selection and evolution | |||
| 8. Ecology and human impact | Ecosystems, food chains and food webs | |||
| 8. Ecology and human impact | Nutrient cycles: carbon, water and nitrogen | |||
| 8. Ecology and human impact | Populations and factors affecting growth | |||
| 8. Ecology and human impact | Human impact: pollution, deforestation, conservation | |||
| 8. Ecology and human impact | Biotechnology and genetic engineering |
Use with our Past Paper Finder for Cambridge O Level Biology 5090 past papers.
Quick answers about this free revision checklist, how to use it for exam prep, and how it relates to the official syllabus.
This revision checklist mirrors the official Cambridge O Level Biology 5090 syllabus for the 2026 examination series. Every topic and sub-topic on the page is taken from the published syllabus document, so working through the list in order gives you full coverage of what your exam can assess. For the authoritative version, always cross-check with the latest syllabus PDF on your exam board's website before your final revision push.
The number of top-level topic groups varies by subject, but you can see the exact count on this page — each major heading in the checklist corresponds to one syllabus topic group, and each row below it is a syllabus-level sub-topic. Use the confidence column (1–5) to flag which sub-topics need more work, and re-score yourself weekly to track real progress instead of guessing.
Plan back from your exam date, allow at least one week per topic group, and reserve the final 2–3 weeks for full past-paper practice. Use this checklist to plan your weeks: filter by topics you have rated 1–3 and spend your first revision block there. Subjects with heavy practical or extended-writing components (e.g. sciences, English) need more past-paper time in the final block than the topic-by-topic phase.
Revise in roughly the order the syllabus lists the topics — exam boards build later topics on earlier ones, so taking them in syllabus order avoids gaps. Once you have rated every topic, switch to weakest-first: filter the checklist by confidence ≤ 2 and prioritise those topics in your next study block. This is more effective than re-revising topics you already score 4–5 on.
You can find past papers and mark schemes via Tutopiya's Past Paper Finder and on your exam board's official site. Once you have rated each sub-topic on this checklist, attempt past-paper questions on your weakest topics first — practising under timed conditions is the single best predictor of exam performance, more so than re-reading notes.
Use the Download CSV or Print PDF button at the bottom of the checklist. CSV opens in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets so you can sort by confidence and re-arrange revision order. The PDF is print-ready for offline use. A free Tutopiya account is required for download — this also unlocks the matching topic resources, notes and worked examples on the Learning Portal.
Yes, the checklist itself is free — you can view, score and re-score every topic on this page without an account. The CSV / PDF downloads and access to matching Tutopiya Learning Portal resources require a free account. There is no payment required at any point; teachers and parents can also use this checklist freely with their students.
Yes. The topics and sub-topics on this page are drawn from the current 2026 Cambridge O Level Biology 5090 specification published by Cambridge. Exam boards occasionally tweak weighting or assessment structure mid-cycle, so do a quick sanity-check against the official syllabus PDF when you start your revision and again 4 weeks before the exam.